Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies in Jelgava, known as LBTU, is a full university for biosciences and agricultural sciences with approximately 4,000 students. Its Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only institution in the country where the veterinary qualification can be obtained. The English-language programme lasts six years, comprises 360 ECTS credits, and costs €9,600 per academic year. Students are admitted once a year, at the start of the first week of September.

What makes the faculty stand out

Veterinary surgeons have been trained in Jelgava for over 80 years. The faculty is divided into three institutes and operates its own veterinary medicine training centre. The practical centrepiece is the animal hospital opened in 2012, complemented by a teaching farm with cattle and horses where large animal medicine is taught. Small animal and farm animal medicine are thus both covered in the same programme at the same faculty.

The faculty holds the Approval status of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education, the European body for assessing veterinary training. This status is not required for recognition within the EU — the entry in Annex V suffices for that — but it is an additional quality seal that becomes relevant where the European automatic recognition does not apply. In terms of research, the faculty works on topics including organ systems in postnatal development, implant materials, and zoonoses. These focus areas indicate which topics are realistically available for electives and final theses.

Where the limitations lie

The offering is narrow. Veterinary medicine is the only English-language healthcare programme in Jelgava; human and dental medicine are not available here, and changing field means starting a completely new programme with its own application. The cohort comprises around 30 places, and selection runs via a test in biology and chemistry that is not straightforward to pass without preparation.

Latvian is not required for admission, but is noticeably important in clinical practice: animal owners describe their pet's symptoms in their own language, and at both the animal hospital and the teaching farm you work with Latvian-speaking clients. On top of that is the city's character. Jelgava has around 55,000 inhabitants, the cultural offering is limited, and a later transfer to a German faculty is not guaranteed due to the restricted number of places in veterinary medicine; the receiving faculty decides on credit recognition independently, and there is no entitlement.

Who this location suits

Jelgava suits you if veterinary medicine is your clear goal, if you do not want to make your training dependent on a school grade, and if large animal medicine genuinely interests you. Those who need a major city with a vibrant cultural scene, or who want to keep human or dental medicine as an option, will find better conditions elsewhere. Whether this location fits your profile, your timeline, and your finances is something Medschool Experts assesses individually in a free consultation.

Entrance examination instead of school grades

There is no numerus clausus. Prerequisites are a completed secondary education with university entry qualification and at least a grade of satisfactory in biology or chemistry, plus English at B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference. Selection is via an entrance test in biology and chemistry administered online by the university. School-level subject matter is tested; no prior veterinary knowledge is expected. You do not need to travel to Latvia for the process.

Deadlines

The programme begins in the first week of September; there is no summer semester entry. Because only one cohort starts per year and around 30 places are available, missing a deadline costs a full twelve months. Those who begin preparing in the autumn of the previous year have enough time to revise biology and chemistry at a comfortable pace. Registration, application, and test organisation are handled by Medschool Experts; what applies in your specific case is assessed individually in a free consultation.

Tuition fees and cost of living

The tuition fee is €9,600 per academic year, payable annually rather than per semester. Over six years this amounts to €57,600. The fee covers teaching and examinations but not textbooks, workwear, boots and equipment for large animal medicine, or insurance. For living in Jelgava, budget €400–700 per month; a dormitory place in a shared room starts at around €138, a meal in the canteen costs €2.50–3.50. Over six years, tuition and living costs together amount to around €97,000. Latvia is an EU member state, so an application for study abroad BAföG funding is in principle possible; whether funding is approved and at what level is decided by the relevant state education funding authority, not the university. Students typically combine several sources such as family support, an educational loan, and a scholarship. Because the cost of living in Jelgava is low, monthly outgoings are lower than at many other study locations.

Programme structure and language of instruction

Six years, 360 ECTS credits, structured as an integrated first- and second-cycle programme. The programme begins with anatomy, histology, physiology, and biochemistry across different animal species; in the third year pathology, microbiology, parasitology, pharmacology, and hygiene are added. Years four and five are clinical, and the sixth year is predominantly practical. Teaching and assessment are conducted entirely in English, from anatomy through to work in the animal hospital. Directive 2005/36/EC prescribes the subject groups that must be included across Europe; the faculty fills this framework with its own curriculum.

Clinical training and practice

Practical training takes place at the faculty's animal hospital, which opened in 2012, and on the teaching farm with cattle and horses. The difference from human medicine lies in the breadth: you study not one species but dogs, cats, cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry. The 360 ECTS credits make your performance comparable across Europe; ask for your Transcript of Records after each academic year so that documentation is available when you need it.

Recognition in Germany

Latvia has been a member state of the European Union since 2004, and veterinary training is one of the harmonised professions. The relevant provision is Annex V, Section 5.4.2 of Directive 2005/36/EC as amended by Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2023/2383. The degree is therefore automatically recognised, without an equivalence assessment or a knowledge examination. The veterinary Approbation is granted by the competent authority of the federal state in which you wish to work. In Austria, registration with the veterinary register follows; in Switzerland, the competent federal authority decides. With the Approbation, careers in small animal practice, farm animal practice, veterinary hospitals, official veterinary service, and research are all open to you.

Life in Jelgava

Jelgava is located in central Latvia on the Lielupe river, has around 55,000 inhabitants, and is the fourth-largest city in the country. Riga is roughly 40 kilometres away, and the coast and the Lithuanian border are also within easy reach. Getting around the city by bicycle is usually sufficient. Those looking for city life head to the capital at weekends; on the spot, student life takes place on a smaller scale.

Accommodation and everyday life

The most affordable option is a dormitory place in a shared room from around €138 per month. Those who want more privacy can rent a room or a small flat in the city; a shared room means genuinely sharing the space. Jelgava is compact, distances to the faculty are short, and the cost of living is well below that of German university cities. Because the cohort of around 30 places is small, you get to know each other — this helps through the first two years, when the workload is at its heaviest. Travel from German-speaking countries goes via Riga, from where it is around 40 kilometres.

Is the veterinary degree from Jelgava recognised in Germany?

Yes. Latvia is an EU member state, and veterinary training is one of the harmonised professions under Annex V, Section 5.4.2 of Directive 2005/36/EC. Recognition is automatic; no equivalence assessment or knowledge examination is required. The Approbation is granted by the competent authority of the relevant federal state. The same rule applies in Austria and, via the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, in Switzerland.

What does the faculty's EAEVE status mean?

The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education evaluates veterinary faculties through its own European process. Jelgava holds Approval status in this system. For recognition within the European Union, this status is not required — the entry in Annex V, Section 5.4.2 is sufficient. It is an additional quality seal and is useful where the EU automatic recognition does not apply.

Do I need a specific school grade?

No. Prerequisites are a completed secondary education with university entry qualification, at least a grade of satisfactory in biology or chemistry, and English at B2 level. Selection is based on an online entrance test in biology and chemistry, not your school grade. No prior veterinary knowledge is expected; a systematic revision of the fundamentals is generally sufficient.

What does the programme cost in total?

The fee is €9,600 per academic year, so €57,600 over six years. Adding €400–700 per month for living costs brings the total to around €97,000. Textbooks, workwear, equipment for large animal medicine, and travel home are on top of this. Calculate this sum in full before applying.

Do I need Latvian for the programme?

Not for admission, but for clinical practice. Animal owners describe their pet's symptoms in their own language, and at the faculty's animal hospital and on the teaching farm you work with Latvian-speaking clients. Building a basic vocabulary early makes the clinical years considerably easier. Teaching and examinations are conducted in English regardless.